Safety device



1968 w. L. FARNSWORTH, JR 3,417,840

SAFETY DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 1967 WALTER L. FARNSWORTH, JR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,417,840 SAFETY DEVICE Walter L. Farnsworth, Jr., 517 World Trade Center, Houston, Tex. 77002 Filed Oct. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 678,399 6 Claims. (Cl. 1828) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety device including a glove with elongated hooks slideably received on the back thereof. When the gloves are Worn by a person climbing a ladder, the hooks are disposed to overhang the rungs. If the person climbing the ladder loses his grip, the hooks will engage the rungs and prevent him from falling. In one embodiment, the hook is secured to a \wristlet and means are provided to permit the hook to be turned toward or away from the palm of the hand. In another embodiment of the invention, the hooks are connected to a safety belt worn by the climber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to safety devices and more particularly, to a safety device for use by persons climbing ladders.

Generally, safety apparatus for ladder climbing consists of hooks or grapplelike devices. One such safety device includes a hook or hooklike device that is fastened to the climber and is adapted to hook onto the rungs of the ladder as he climbs. This form of safety device is connected to a belt, jacket or other article of apparel so that the person climbing the ladder can release his grip on the rungs in order to perform his task after the hooks are engaged.

Other safety devices such as that shown in Brucksch Patent No. 543,464 include hooks attached to the thumbs of the climber and then secured to a safety belt or to the wrist. If the climber should lose his grip while climbing, the hooks will catch the rungs and prevent a serious fall. However, using a device such as shown by the Brucksch patent impairs the efi'iciency of the user in climbing and prevents him from using tools while on the ladder. In event of a mishap, these books can interfere with selfrescue while at the same timing causing severe injury to the arms and hands of the climber.

Since the hook of the Brucksch device is connected over the thumb, the thumb cannot curl to grasp a tool or the like. In addition, because the hook will not permit the thumb to bend, it cannot be worn while working prior to climbing. Consequently, the hook will not be put on until ascending the ladder and must be removed after every descent from the ladder. If the nature of the work requires frequent descents from the ladder to prepare material, it is most likely that the device will not be worn at all because of the inconvenience of constantly removing it and putting it on.

When the hook engages a ladder rung to prevent a fall, it places injurious strains on the fingers, hands and arms because the falling force initially is not carried by the whole hand but rather is carried by the thumb. If the shock were balanced over the entire hand, the injurious strains would be eliminated. When the hook is hanging from a ladder rung, the climber would most unlikely be unable to close his fist to grasp the rungs in order to save himself. Furthermore, since the hooks are attached to the thumb in the Brucksch patent, the person climbing the ladder cannot use his thumbs to grasp the run-gs in the natural gripping position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, the invention relates to a safety device for persons climbing ladders which includes a glove with a back portion and fingers; guide means on the back portion of said glove intermediate said fingers and in alignment therewith; hooking means mounted in said guide means for alignment with said fingers; and means for connecting said hooking means to said person.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a partial elevational view of a safety de vice in accordance with the invention being used by a person climbing a ladder.

FIGURE 2 is a partial detail view of the safety device of FIGURE 1 to a larger scale with the users palm open and the device engaging a ladder rung.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 of a modified device according to the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, but with the hook turned to the inoperative position, out of the users way.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention can best be described by referring to FIGURE 1 which shows one form of the safety device worn by a person climbing a ladder 10, including a plurality of rungs 14.

The safety device comprises one glove 20 and 24 for each hand. Since the gloves are substantially identical, a detailed description of the invention will be made with reference to glove 20. The safety device includes the glove 20, a hooking device 28 and a safety line 32, which may be connected to a belt, jacket, or other item of apparel worn by the climber as is well known.

Generally, glove 20 comprises a palm (not shown), a back portion 36, fingers 40, a thumb 44 and a wrist portion 48. In a preferred form the glove should cover the entire hand, including the wrist. However, it is to be understood that the inventive concept disclosed herein could be equally well served by a simplified glove wherein only portions of the hand were covered.

A guide means 52 formed by an elongated member is fastened to the back 36 of the glove intermediate the second and third fingers. Preferably the member is a rectangular flap sewn along its parallel elongated edges 54 to form an aperture 56 in alignment with the fingers of the glove.

While an elongated member is preferred, the advantages of such a member could also be achieved by attaching eyelets or the like to the back of the glove or providing openings in the back thereof in alignment with the fingers.

The previously referred to hooking device 28 is rotatably and somewhat slideably received in the aperture 56 on the back of the glove. While there is no restraining means shown, it should be apparent that the friction be tween the hooking device 28 and the glove material is sufficient to prevent them from moving from their relative positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 while the user is climbing.

The hooking device includes an elongated shank 60 with one end curved to form a hook 64 adapted to en gage a rung 14 of a ladder. An eye 68, formed at the opposite end of the shank, is adapted to receive the end of aforementioned safety line 32.

When wearing the safety device on the ladder, the hooks 64 are turned so that they face inwardly toward the ladder and the shanks are adjusted until the hooks extend above the knuckles as shown in FIGURE 1. In the event that the climbers hand should open, the hook 64 will catch the rung (FIGURE 2) to prevent a fall. Since the hand receives no part of the falling force, the person will,

3 with a minimum of difiiculty be able to return to his position on the ladder.

In addition, it is to be noted that because the shanks are rotatably mounted in the guide means 52, the hooks can be turned toward the back of the glove if desired.

A modified form of the invention is shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4. While the detailed description of this form of the invention will be directed to one glove, it is to be understood that the description is also applicable to the other glove (not shown). Glove 100, which is substantially the same as gloves 20 and 24, includes fingers 104, a hooking device 8, and a wrist strap 110, fastened to the wrist portion 114 of the glove.

A modified guide means, formed on the back portion of the glove intermediate the second and third fingers 104, includes a reinforcing flap 120 fastened to the glove. It is preferred that the flap be sewn to the back of the glove along seams 124, but other suitable fastening means could be employed.

An elongated rectangular member 128 is sewn to the aforementioned flap 120 along its parallel elongated edges 132 to form an aperture 136 in alignment with fingers 104 of the glove.

The hooking device 108 is substantially the same as the aforementioned hooking device 28 in that it includes an elongated shank 140, slidably and rotatably received in aperture 136 on the back of the glove, with a curved portion forming a hook 144 at one end adapted to engage the rungs of a ladder and an eye 148 at its other end.

The hook 144 and eye 148 are disposed in intersecting planes so that when the eye lies fiat against the wrist strap 110, the hook 144 will extend away from the glove. In a preferred form, the hook 144 is at an angle of somewhat less than 90 with respect to the plane of the eye.

The Wrist strap 110 is fastened to the wrist portion 114 of the glove by stitching 152 or other suitable fastening means so that it is firmly fastened thereto. A buckle 156 is employed to releasably connect the ends of the wrist strap 110 so that the glove can be placed on the hand.

The buckle illustrated is merely exemplary of a preferred form of connection but other means such as lacing, in tegral fastening means or the like can be employed so that the wrist strap can be tightened to secure the glove on the hand.

The wrist strap 110 passes through the eye 143 so that the hooking device 108 is restrained from axial movement in the guide means but can be rotated from its operative position shown in FIGURE 3 to its inoperative position shown in FIGURE 4.

Means are provided for securing the hook 144 in its operative position while the user is on the ladder and in its inoperative position when the climber is not on the ladder so that other functions can be performed without the necessity of unbuckling the strap around the wrist of the glove and removing the glove. These means comprise two retaining straps 160 and 164. Each of the retaining straps has one end permanently fastened to the wrist strap While its other end is releasably fastened thereto by snap fasteners 168 and 172 or any other suitable releasable fastening means.

Since the hook 144 and the eye 148 are in intersecting planes, when the eye is pivoted from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to that shown in FIGURE 4, the hook is moved from its operative position to its inoperative position where it will not interfere With hand movements. While in its operative position illustrated in FIGURE 3, the hook is restrained from rotation to the inoperative position because strap 160 is secured to snap fastener 168. In the event that the climbers hand should open while the hooks are in the operative position, the hook will catch the rung (FIGURE 3) to prevent a fall. The hand receives no direct part of the falling force of the person since that force is transmitted directly to the wrist.

To move the hook into the inoperative position illustrated in FIGURE 4, snap 168 is released so that the eye can be disengaged from strap 160 and the eye is rotated so as to be engaged by strap 164. When strap 164 is fastened to the wrist strap by its snap fastener 172, the hook will be restrained against rotation from its inoperative position.

While this invention has been described with reference to the particular forms disclosed herein, it is obvious that others who are skilled in art can devise and construct other units which are within the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of protection afforded by this grant should not be limited by the foregoing illustrations but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety device for a person climbing a ladder comprising a glove, said glove comprising a back portion and guide means disposed on said back portion intermediate said fingers and in alignment therewith;

hooking means operable to engage said ladder mounted in said guide means for alignment with said fingers; and

means for connecting said hooking means to said person.

2. A safety device as defined in claim 1 wherein said hooking means includes an elongated shank, an

eye at one end of said shank and a hook at the other end, said shank being mounted in said guide means.

3. A safety device as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for connecting said hooking means to said person is a flexible elongated member, one end of said flexible elongated member being connected to said eye.

4. A safety device as defined in claim 2 wherein said hooking means is movable between operative and inoperative positions;

said glove includes a wrist portion;

said means for connecting said hooking means to said person includes means on said wrist portion connected to said eye for permitting said hooking means to be moved from said first position to said second position.

5. A safety device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means on said wrist portion includes a strap; and

means on said strap for engagement with said eye to hold said hooking means in at least one of said positions.

6. A safety device as defined in claim 5 wherein said eye and said hook lie in intersecting planes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 543,464 7/1895 Brucksch 1828 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 2160 

